Okay, so I have my new SDiT here...Shimmy, a standard poodle. Bred by a friend of mine on the flyball team...I tested the litter, and picked this one as the SD. (she's in training for a friend who currently has a Standard poodle SD that will be retiring in the next year or so)

Anyway. I got the list of instructions and what she knows. There was a warning saying that she likes to drink excessively and then throw up. So she's tethered for now, so she can be with me, but not near the water bowls, as I have three big water bowls down for the six dogs and six cats in the house. It's not an option to put the water up...so I'll have to control the poodle puppy instead.

She's 5 months old, and of normal energy level for a puppy of this age. She's quite well trained, and knows many things despite her young age.

The thing is...another friend has one of her littermates...Mia. I picked Mia out of the litter for the performance pick. She's with my friend as a potential breeding female, and as HER performance dog (her mini poodle is very straight in the back legs...). She ALSO has the habit of drinking large quantities of water and then throwing up. We have to keep her out of my kitchen when they come over to play.

Now, they're both out of the same female...who apparently doesn't have the water problem...but the dam's SISTER (who is with another friend of mine...she was also a potential breeding female that got spayed instead) has the same problem...she's 6 now and will still drink an entire bowl of water and throw up. She also has to be kept out of the kitchen when she's visiting.

Can this sort of thing be passed down genetically...is this a problem with something internally, or is this just a bad habit learned because water was given sparingly for housebreaking or something?

"I don't have any idea if my dogs respect me or not, but they're greedy and I have their stuff." -- Patty Ruzzo

"Dogs don't want to control people. They want to control their own lives." --John Bradshaw

It certainly sounds like it could have a genetic component. Interesting to see how it cropped up in the related dogs too. Was any bloodwork done on the dam's sister?

Dylan used to do this and it was a behavioral issue. I believe it was because he did not have free access to water before I got him. I ended up putting several huge bowls of water around the apartment and his outdoor kennel area and after a few weeks it was like he realized that he wasn't going to run out. He now drinks a normal amount of water.

Dogs that guzzle excessive amounts of water can also have an upset gut.

I can only please one person per day. Today is not your day, tomorrow doesn't look good either.
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"You didn't know of the magical powers of the break stick? It's up there with genies and Harry Potter as far as magic levels go." SisMorphine 01/07/07

Maybe I'm crazy, but I've noticed that the boys will drink stupendous amounts of water when they're either bored or anxious about something... it's almost like they are trying to calm themselves that way. I've never deprived any of them of water, as long as I've had them...

Maybe I'm crazy, but I've noticed that the boys will drink stupendous amounts of water when they're either bored or anxious about something... it's almost like they are trying to calm themselves that way. I've never deprived any of them of water, as long as I've had them...

I don't know about Shimmy yet, because I haven't allowed her free access to the water...she hasn't been here 24 hours, and she's peed 2x on the floor.

But with Mia (littermate)...she'll literally drain all three big bowls of water in one go...if you give her the chance...she'll just drink and drink and drink. She could have just been outside playing, just come out of her crate, been lying in the living room playing with toys, etc...no matter what she was just doing, she'll beeline for the water bowls if they're down and drain them. It seems vaguely obsessive...though that's not the true term for it. Lily (aunt to the puppies) is the same way...they'll both vomit it all up then.

"I don't have any idea if my dogs respect me or not, but they're greedy and I have their stuff." -- Patty Ruzzo

"Dogs don't want to control people. They want to control their own lives." --John Bradshaw

Aren't most poodles a tad neurotic anyway? If they are otherwise healthy - do you think a water bottle might help w/that issue? You know, like the ones you can buy for hamsters and stuff - just bigger?This way it will take a while to drink, and it might cut down on consumption AND peeing.

We have a Portugese Water Dog at work that does that at home so they insist we need to restrict his water intake while he's boarding with us. I never do, and he doesn't exhibit that behavior while he's with us.

~Jeanine

You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.